Is Your Business ISO Certified? 3 Benefits of ISO Certification for Your Business

This is a guest post from Laura Jennings of Fountain Partnership Ltd. To guest post on NairaBrains send mail to: info[a]nairabrains.com.

ISO 9001 is an internationally recognised standard for business quality management. It is a certification that is awarded once your company’s internal processes meet a certain standard. They include but are not limited to processes such as complaints procedure, quoting procedure, product or service delivery and enquiry procedure.

ISO 9001 can benefit companies of all sizes, not just large corporations. In fact, smaller businesses that invest in ISO 9001 earlier on will find it easier to expand these processes as their business grows, and they pave the way for business growth.

So how can ISO 9001 benefit your business?
Save Time, Money & Stress
In the long-term, ISO 9001 will save your business time, money and stress. How? By having effective processes in place to support your company, you are planning ahead for different situations. So when they arise, you are much more prepared to deal with them. For example, if there is a clear procedure laid out for dealing with complaints, the customer won’t have to chase you, everyone will be informed of what is going on, and it can be dealt with professionally and quickly.

In addition, refining your processes and assigning managers for each role, you are likely to cut the time spent on each process which could save staffing costs in the long term.
Stand Out In The Crowd
ISO 9001 can help your organisation stand out in the crowd. In an industry where you have several competitors, having the accreditation shows current customers, potential clients and even employees that your company has invested in its processes and will deliver a service or product of quality.
Once you have achieved your certification, be sure to make the most of it by using the logos, stickers and other materials available to show it off.

Opens Up Avenues
Finally, your ISO 9001 accreditation can open up business avenues for you. For example, some larger companies won’t trade or deal with suppliers who are not ISO 9001 certified – especially within the public sector. You can use your accreditation in tenders that you bid for or partnerships you want to set up as it will give other companies peace of mind that they are dealing with a quality company.

You can also search for other companies that are ISO certified and see how your two companies might be able to work together. Those who understand the value of ISO 9001 certification will be sure to see the value of using your company above another that is not certified.
ISO 9001 might seem like an unnecessary business expense at first but the return on investment is clear to see for those business that have already invested. In fact, in a study undertaken by the British Assessment Bureau 44% of businesses asked who had achieved ISO 9001 business growth saw their business grow significantly afterwards.

This article has been written on behalf of QMS International, a company delivering ISO certifications including ISO 9001.

A really great post with some valid points. Are a growing number of businesses working towards gaining an ISO 9001 certification? It also provides a guideline for owners and trains the staff. They are the foundation of a business. I think it is crucial for small businesses and will really benefit them in the long-run.